


The Instincts of the Airwalkers

by Thisisentertaining



Series: Always trust Sokka's instincts [8]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angry!Aang, Destruction of the air temples, Discussion of destoying relics, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, the northern air temple, theatre nerd!zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29120349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thisisentertaining/pseuds/Thisisentertaining
Summary: Zuko wasn't sure what to think about the tales of modern day figures living and flying in the Northen Air Temple. His people are... thorough. He doesn't want to let Aang down, but he finds it hard to believe that anyone not stuck in an iceberg had escaped the eradication.When he got to the temple, he hated being proven right. What's more, he hated seeing Earth Kingdom strangers destroying what little of Aang's heritage survived the attack of his people. But the day that the Fire Nation launches a second attack on this once idyllic temple, Zuko hates the most that he has to finally make a clear choice.He'd thought he'd made this choice already, thought he'd made it several times over, but the question remains when he'd least like it to: Is he willing to fight against his Nation?
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko, Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Always trust Sokka's instincts [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883224
Comments: 157
Kudos: 398





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Woop! Another chapter up, sorry for the pause, work was kinda busy for a while, but I'm back! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I feel like I'm a little harsh on Teo and his dad, and I don't mean to be but I'm trying to do this from Zuko's perspective and this just ended up being how I felt his voice would be. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Azula had never been shy about calling him insulting names. In fact, he was almost certain that casual insults had been more common than ‘Zuzu’, and she certainly never deigned to call him Zuko. She’d had a lot of fodder to create the names, centering on how he clung to Mother, his inability to please the tutors, his abysmal fire bending progress, the innate weakness that she and Father saw and he’d never been able to identify to change. Most of them bothered him, and he wasn’t good at hiding it, which only encouraged her to keep using them.

The only one that hadn’t bothered him was when she called him a Theatre Nerd. Ursa had been an actress, bringing life to even their bedtime stories before Azule got ‘too old’ for them. Zuko hadn’t felt too old, but he was older than Azula, and so he’d been too embarrassed to request that they continue. Regardless, he’d loved trips with his mother to see the theatre, and even Azula had enjoyed when they went to the Ember Island Players together, if only because Ursa _eviscerated_ the poor quality shows with a viciousness that the prodigy could appreciate. 

After Mother disappeared they never went to another play, but Azula would use the insult every time she caught Zuko cramming a theatre scroll in his homework pile or humming the notes to the overture in ‘Love Amongst the Dragons’. Zuko hadn’t minded. If anything, it had made him feel closer to his mother, as if this was a part of her that remained even though she was gone. Additionally, he didn’t really think there was anything wrong with enjoying good storytelling.

This was not good storytelling.

The man at the fire had told a story that was winding, without a clear plot or purpose. Even his terminology was off, he called airbendenders ‘airwalkers’, and acted as though it was reasonable for the main character to think it was a human-sized parrot. He only really got artistic with it at the end, and by then Zuko was as bored as Aang was enthralled. The Fire Nation teen was mentally going through the Airbender-featuring plays he’d read to give Aang a _proper_ story when the man stopped talking.

(Technically, scrolls with non-Fire-Nation main characters were illegal unless the foreigners were the villains, but Ursa had a cache of scrolls that even Ozai had never known existed.)

(They’d disappeared the night she did; all but one. Zuko’s favorite, a biography of Avatar Kyoshi, had appeared under the turtleduck tree. Mom used to joke that she regretted letting Zuko read that one because he’d learned to be stubborn from a woman renown for her will even among a nation who took pride in their tenacity.)

“Aren’t airbender stories the best?” Aang asked happily, and Zuko felt some of his annoyance at the subpar story ease. This was important for Aang, it was good that he got the reminder that his people were not forgotten.

“Was it realistic?” Katara asked. “Is that how it was back then?”

“I laugh at gravity all the time!” Aang said immediately, referencing the man’s ending line.

Zuko snorted. “You laugh at everything all the time, Aang.”

“Well, so did the other airbenders. There used to be a running tab to see how many times you could get a pie to land on someone’s head! But it only worked if they actually got pied, if they spotted it and deflected, you didn’t get the points. Monk Gyastso won every week.”

That… hadn’t been in any of the plays Zuko was thinking of. Except… maybe that one scene in ‘As the Wind Follows’… that had been a pudding, but maybe it had been inspired by the pie thing. Zuko was just about to ask when the man showed up with his hat, obnoxiously shaking it in front of a half-dozing Sokka. The teen scrambled in his pockets, but all of them knew exactly what he would find. Or wouldn’t find. They’d spent the last of their money at the Fire Nation Festival, and had been too busy running from Zhao since to try and pick up odd jobs.

Anything but fishing.

The man walked away with a disgusted grumble and Zuko couldn’t help but a feel a pang of guilt. Mom had campaigned for funding to be channeled to the dramatic arts back home, knowing first hand how hard it was to make a living. Here, they didn’t even charge _tickets_ , relying wholly on the tips of their listeners. Zuko wished he could give something, but he owned almost nothing, and could not spare anything he did. 

Aang jumped up and followed the man, thanking him for the story. Zuko watched as Katara and Sokka bickered about their nonexistent funds. It should be fine, they should be able to survive off of what they had until they reached the Northern Water Tribe, and hopefully they would be generous to their tribesmen and the Avatar… and Zuko would get stuff by association.

Suddenly Aang was _there_ , moving so quickly that Zuko hadn’t seen him shift, eyes wide and smile so huge that it seemed to split his face like a alli-pelican. “Guys, they say the airbenders _last week_. They must have- some of my people survived! I’m not the last airbender after all! WOO HOO!”

In his excitement, the boy created a tornado under him and shot into the sky, cheering all the while.

One of the other story patrons gasped. “A giant parrot!”

* * *

“We’re almost to the Northern Air Temple!” Aang said as Appa floated past yet another identical mountaintop. Excitement threaded every syllable the boy spoke, and he was practically vibrating in his seat. “This is where they had the championships!”

Zuko squinted, though he was always squinting now. Aang had never pushed Appa to go this fast before, and as they got closer the air bison seemed to just keep going _faster_ , the wind on their ride was much more intense than the risers were prepared for after weeks or months of fairly sedate flying with occasional bursts of speed. “The… pie throwing championships?”

“No!” Aang laughed. “For sky bison polo.” The boy launched into a well-detailed explanation that was ignored by all of his passengers.

“Do you think we’ll really find airbenders?” Katara asked Sokka, but her face was filled with hope rather than the concern and dread filling Zuko’s stomach.

“You want me to be like you, or totally honest?” Sokka asked.

“Are you saying I’m a liar?” Katara asked, affronted.

“I’m saying you’re an optimist. Same thing basically.”

She huffed and turned to the boy who had said hardly a word since Aang had made his announcement. “What do you think Zuko?” She asked, as though expecting him to be on her side.

He wished he could be. “My people are very… thorough, Katara. If Fire Lord Sozin saw them as a threat… well, neither he nor any Firelord after him were known for doing things part way.” Nor for showing mercy.

The girl cast an anxious look at Aang, pain creasing her face. In attempt to just, get rid of that look, Zuko allowed. “Although… they were nomads. How can I say that they didn’t miss a couple who were off… doing couple things. In a hundred years you could have as many as four or five generations easily. There uh, there’s a chance.”

Sokka sent him a _look_ while Katara’s smile returned. Zuko scowled in response and looked down. Nothing that he’d said was _false._ It was just that… well his people were very thorough. They’d killed the last of the dragons, spiritual creatures blessed to be the first Fire Benders. If they’d managed to hunt down each and every one of them, Zuko feared that the Air Nomads hadn’t been much trouble. He shouldn’t have said anything. He’d spent too long with dwindling-nonexistent hope, he’d forgotten how much it hurt to be disappointed.

Except, maybe they wouldn’t be disappointed.

“Hey guys, look!” Aang shouted, and gleefully pointed at an impossibility.

They could see the air temple in the distance, and it was absolutely _surrounded_ by flying figures, figures larger than any giant parrot. People. Airbenders.

His people had failed.

If Zuko hadn’t become so much a traitor, that thought wouldn’t be bringing him so much joy, but looking at Aang’s face he couldn’t find it in himself to feel anything else.

Katara gasped in wonder. “They really are airbenders!”

“No they’re not.” Aang argued, his excitement having drained with starling speed. The boy crossed his arms and settled petulantly against the Bison’s head.

“What do you mean?” Sokka demanded. “Those guys are flying!”

“Gliding maybe.” Aang said angrily. “But not flying. You can tell by the way they move.”

Zuko squinted at the figures and could kind of see what Aang was talking about. “They’re all going the same paths.” He realized suddenly. “They’re riding air currents.”

“Riding them, not creating them.” Aang agreed. “They’re not airbending. Those people have no spirit.”

Zuko caught movement out of the corner of his eye and hit the deck, grabbing a protesting Sokka and dragging his with him, though Katara was too far away at the front of the saddle. The pair had barely hit the ground when suddenly cart glided inches from where there heads had been, a boy in green laughing merrily as he flew past. Zuko popped up with a scowl, punching out a firebending move that should have served as a warning shot just as close as the strangers dive had been. It would have, at least, if he could produce anything more than a weak-looking puff of smoke.

Sokka pat Zuko on the back awkwardly as Katara turned back to the Avatar. “I don’t know, Aang. That kid seems pretty spirited to me.”

The kid swung back up by Appa’s head, sending Aang a _look_ , and suddenly Aang’s face morphed into a competitive smirk the likes of which Zuko had never seen on the boy’s face, and he immediately jumped off the bison, his staff growing it’s sails as he chased after the glider.

“Great. Yeah, just, go after the stranger, Aang. Great idea.” Zuko grumbled, and Sokka laughed at him.

“You’re just grumpy cause the guy didn’t notice your fire-poof.”

“It’s a _good thing_ he didn’t notice my bending. He’s Earth Kingdom, it would have been bad for us. I shouldn’t have even tried.” Zuko grumbled, and looked away so that he didn’t have to acknowledge that it wasn’t the bending that had upset him. It’s was Aang’s face just before he jumped into the sky. It was an expression that Zuko had never seen before, but one that _fit_ the child so well. How many times had he made it in the past? Flown circles around the other child-monks in the temples, played games with people who could actually keep up.

How much had his people actually taken from him.

Luckily, the teen was momentarily broken from his thoughts when two close-flying gliders got too close to Appa’s nose and the bison jerked back, jolting the trio in the saddle.

"We need to get to some land before it get’s to us first." Sokka said once they’d settled, and Zuko happily jumped to steer the bison to the temple, anything to keep his mind focused on anything else. Anything beyond how good it looked to see Aang racing the glider.

It wasn’t much of a race. Aang had a freedom of movement that the glider simply couldn’t accomplish, running along walls and using is air sphere where the earth kingdom boy was much more restricted. Though, using smoke to create a caricature of Aang was a decent comeback. Still, when Aang landed beside Katara and Sokka there was something impossible to decipher in his expression.

The earth kingdom teen landed shortly after, skidding halfway across the platform before stopping, and immediately other children came forward to remove the wings and tops of the cart, though it became clear that the boy wouldn’t be getting out of the cart itself as he expertly wheeled himself over to the trio.

What followed was a lot of geeking out. The kid, Teo apparently, geeked out about the airbending and Avatar-ness, Sokka geeked out about the gliding chair. Zuko geeked out about nothing and tried very hard not to see ghosts in every corner. Teo led them through the temple, and Zuko had to fight to keep his face from screwing up. It wasn’t bad, per say, but with the plays and Uncle’s teachings, he’d pictured the nomad’s temples as things of beauty, clean and simple. This was… not that. There were pipes filling so much space that the lines were hard to follow with his eyes, and the walls had become an odd off-grey color. Some of the pipes even bisected reliefs and carvings and sculptures, creating ugly holes and cracks in the likely once-beautiful designs.

It was… sad.

Probably a lot sadder for Aang. Zuko realized when the boy flatly refused to share in Teo' pride and Sokka’s wonder. Zuko followed when Aang walked away, placing a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. Aang cast him a weak attempt at a smile as he walked him over to a large mural that had probably been stunning before it was stained with soot and marred by piping. Katara came on the boy’s other side and offered her silent support as well. “This is supposed to be the history of my people.” Aang said mournfully, gesturing at the images on monks and bison still faintly visible. One figure had even been decapitated by an extremely disrespectful pipe placement.

He wandered over to a stylized statue of a bison, the fountain now filled with disgusting polluted refuse. A plume of dark, sick looking smog burst from the statues mouth, making Aang jump back in disgust.

Zuko twitched awkwardly. “Do you want me to yell at someone? I’m really really good at it.” He offered.

Aang’s answering smile was a little less weak this time. “No, it… you don’t have to do that.”

“If that changes, let me know.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Katara, still on this bizzarely-nice kick, sent Zuko a wide smile before turning back to Aang. “I’m sure some parts of the temple are still the same.”

“Maybe. Hey, Teo! Are there any parts of the temple that haven’t been… changed like this?”

The boy, who had been deeply entrenched with Sokka about… something, scrunched his face in thought before brightening. “Yeah! There are some platforms in the east side of the temple that are kinda tricky to get to so we haven’t done much with them! I can show you the way if you want.”

Zuko sneered, anger and guilt melting in his stomach uncomfortably. That mural was just as stained with smoke dust and ash as it was ruined by pipes. His people had brought this pain to Aang just as much as these squatters did. He’d already realized that this war was wrong, that they shouldn’t be fighting, be decimating like they were. Was it so much of a leap to think that it had _never_ been right? It was hard to think anything else at the moment. He was furious that Aang had lost so much, and felt horrendous guilt knowing that his people had a part to play. But Sozin wasn’t here. This kid, this trespasser was. “I’m sure Aang knows this place far better than you. We don’t _need_ a guide.”

Sokka cast him a surprised, reproachful look as Teo flinched back physically from the vitriol in Zuko’s voice, the venom in his words. The look Aang sent was understanding, almost grateful, but he shook his head. “It’s okay, Zuko. I’m- I’m upset but this isn’t Teo’s fault.” No, it was the Fire Nations’. His peoples’. His. “We would be honored if you could show us the way.”

Teo sent a hesitant smile at the boy, but still watched Zuko carefully until Katara cut in. “Sorry about Zuko. He’s just really protective of Aang.”

“I am _not!_ ” Zuko protested hotly.

“No, of course not.” Sokka mocked, having gotten over his shock. “You just singlehandedly snuck into a Fire Nation stronghold for him.”

“I mean, that-“

“And risked getting arrested by the Fire Nation to get him a teacher.”

“I just wanted Fire Flakes.”

“And you-“

“Enough! I get it.” He grumbled, and Teo laughed.

“It’s okay.” The boy said with a easy casualness. “I can understand being protective of someone. It isn’t a big deal, I forgive you. I don’t like to be mad at people anyway.”

Zuko squinted at him. “Are you sure you’re not an airbender?”

Aang laughed. “Maybe some of our philosophies have rubbed off on you just by living here.”

Teo grinned back. "Well, I wouldn’t mind that. The airbenders seemed awesome. How about this, you can tell me all about them on our way to the eastern platforms.”

“Only if you tell me how you guys ended up here in the first place.”

* * *

Zuko trailed slightly behind the group and tried very hard to look as not-Fire-Nation as possible as Teo led them through the winding corridors. They were refugees, of course they were refugees. Every time you see Earth Kingdom people in weird places, it was because they were refugees fleeing the war. Which meant that his people were not only the whole reason this place got abandoned, it was also the reason why it had gotten reinhabited, why even this last spot of the Air Nomads was being changed and destroyed.

“It’s nice to see at least one part of the temple that isn’t ruined." Aang said happily as they made their way into a courtyard.

There were wooden doors surrounding the area, likely dorms, and a few noble and peaceful statues acting as guardians. Aang stared at one of the statues with the first hint of peace that had crossed his face since they’d landed. Zuko was about to ask Aang about the figure’s history when suddenly a loud voice yelled lookout, and the statue was destroyed right in front of Aang’s eyes.

Out of the dust stepped a man with the _worst_ haircut Zuko had ever seen (and he’d tried to do a bald phoenix plume after his injury). “What the doodle?” The man asked, and Zuko was even more certain that he _did not like_ him. “Don’t you know better than to be in an active construction zone? We have to make room for the bathhouse.”

“Do you know what you just did?” Aang asked, voice filled with a passionate fury that sent shivers down Zuko’s spine. “You just destroyed something _sacred._ For a stupid bathhouse!” He cried, anger so intense that his voice broke.

The man seemed entirely oblivious, “Well, people around here are starting to stink.” As though that was the important point.

“This whole place stinks!” Aang shrieked, sending a gust of wind to push the destruction machine off the mountain face. “This is a sacred temple. You can’t treat it this way. I know what it’s supposed to be like.”

“The monks?” The man asked. “But, you’re twelve.”

“Dad, he’s the Avatar.” Teo responded. “He used to be here a hundred years ago.”

“What are you doing? Who said you could do this?” Aang asked, his fury not abated in the least. “Just because you’re refugees, doesn’t mean you can destroy something sacred. Destroy history.”

The man wove a tale that would have been heart rendering, had he not said it in such a ridiculous way, and had he not been completely oblivious to the anger that was only building in Aang as he spoke of ‘improvement’ and ‘progress’. The distracted man soon had his attention pulled away as he realized the time, dismissing his conversation with Aang as though that would clear him of the repercussions.

Zuko attempted to smile at Aang. “Looks like I’m not the only one whose good at yelling.”

The boy grimaced. “Yeah, I kind of lost my temper.”

“That isn’t always a bad thing, Aang. Maybe he’ll be more careful with this place now that he knows how important it is.”

The airbender perked. “Yeah, maybe!”

Teo rolled up to them. “Hey, Aang, I want to show you something.”

The boy looked hesitant, but nodded. Zuko looked up, but Sokka had already wandered off with weird dude so he shrugged. Might as well stick with the airbender. Aang needed all of the help that he could get. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: GUYS I GOT FANART!!! The INCREDIBLE Naiya Dyani drew a scene from this chapter. Thank you so much Naiya!!!!
> 
> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, Zuko was acting weird for a while, and it took me a while to figure out what was freaking him out. Got it eventually though!
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Probably one more chapter in this fic, then go back to Cold Hard Instincts unless inspiration for the Bato episode decides to hit me upside the head.

“I just can’t get over it.” Aang said miserably. “There’s not a single thing that’s the same.”

“I don’t know about that.” Teo argued, and it took everything Zuko had not to instinctively bristle at the dismission. He was trying to… react less. Be less obvious. This wasn’t about him, his guilt, the festering treasonous thoughts that were poisoning him against his nation. It was about Aang, and his desire for the culture that the monks who once held it could no longer protect.

Zuko had never been good at… pushing things down, hiding his emotions. It was one of his greatest failings in the Fire Nation Court, in his family. When he'd been in the cave it just hadn’t seemed worth it. But for now, he would try and push that part of him that was screaming, in anger and guilt and mourning, deep inside so that he could focus on the matter at hand. He had to be careful not to let it up too quickly, else Aang’s earlier blow up look like a child’s tantrum in comparison to the sticky and wild mess of emotions stirring in Zuko’s chest and attempting to escape.

Besides, he had accepted that Teo seemed to be trying to help. He wasn’t bad. Better than the last Earth-Kingdom-teenage-refugee-hurt-by-the-fire-Nation that Zuko had met.

Wait, was that why he was so freaked out?

If so, then he needed to cut that out. Teo wasn’t anything like Jet. Not in looks, temperament, personality, or threat level. It was irrational for Zuko to be this paranoid and he _would_ put a stop to it. He wasn’t some coward. There was no reason for his heart to be beating this fast and _why_ was this cavern so long and why were the walls this dark he thought the air nomads liked open spaces and bright colors and where was this Earth Kingdom refugee taking them and why was it so cold and-.

Zuko jumped back with a startled yell as something flashed before his eyes, hands half pulling his blades out before Aang’s sheepish expression registered and he realized that the airbender had let a gliding-hermit-crab go in his direction. “Zuko? Are you okay?” Aang asked, and the firebender realized he was doing a horrible job at not making things be about him.

“I’m fine. Lost in thought. Sorry.” He grunted, and Katara and Aang shared a look. “I’m fine.” He repeated, louder.

Katara looked at him in concern. “If you’re sure…”

“I said I’m fine!” The teen repeated again.

Teo wheeled back and forth anxiously, a subconscious fidget. “We _are_ almost there. I wanted to show Aang the one part of the temple that hasn’t changed at all. But if we need to come back later…”

Zuko lips curled into a snarl, but Katara tactfully stepped between the two teen boys. “Thanks for the offer Teo, but I think we should just keep going.”

“Yeah,” Aang agreed. “Zuko’s really stubborn. After the third ‘I’m fine’ you can’t make him go back, even if it’s a really really bad idea.”

“That’s not true.” Zuko snarled.

“You tried to go fishing with Sokka after making that poison tea!” Aang said.

“I thought it was a different flower! Uncle said that it made good tea.”

“You threw up in the pond and scared the fish away. That was a three ‘I’m fine’ day.”

Zuko sputtered, remembering the incident. Admittedly, he had _not_ been fine that day. But this was different. He should be able to get over this. He _would_ get over this. “Shut up.” He finally said, at a loss for a better comeback.

Teo laughed. “You know, I can’t tell if I should find you intimidating or not.” He said with frank honesty. “You seem pretty scary, but then you guys start talking and…”

Katara laughed, high and bright despite spending weeks not trusting him. “That’s Zuko in a nutshell.”

Even Aang was starting to smile just a bit. “Yeah, he looks and sounds all ‘danger! danger!’ but-“

“I _am_ dangerous.” Zuko protested.

“Not to us.” Katara disagreed sweetly. And it was ridiculous. He was Fire Nation. He was a fire _bender._ He was a swords master. He was exactly the kind of person who should be sending everyone here to run for the hills. He was of the people that killed all of Aang’s people, decimated Katara’s tribe and benders, and displaced and disabled Teo. This was ridiculous.

At least he wasn’t scared anymore.

“Whatever.” He mumbled, stalking down the hall.

Now the Earth Kingdom teen was at his back. This was not better.

* * *

Aang’s smile dropped as the rest of them followed Zuko down the dark tunnel. He wished that he could have comforted the older teen, promised him that they would be there soon, but he couldn’t. He’d visited this place dozens of times, learning from the Northern masters and playing with the other kids. He would have sworn he knew the place like the back of his hand.

But, like everything else, that was before.

Now, he had no clue where he was, only knowing that the dark, cluttered halls were almost impossibly out of place in an air temple. He didn’t remember this hall, but he knew that it would have once been painted white, or filled with bright colors and tapestries. Small holes to act as windows would have been scattered every few feet. The natural light they once would have let in was now plugged by the piping settled in the former holes.

He never imagined hating a place he had hoped would feel like home.

No, not hate. Hate is bad, it clogs the soul. He would not let his people’s teachings die as their temple had. He would preserve it, even if he was the only one who could. He took in a deep breath as they walked, attempting to force out the hate, the anger. It wasn’t easy. He would need some long meditation first, but just remembering that there was more to his people than a couple buildings was helpful.

The room at the end of the hall was much more familiar, with large arching windows, natural lighting, and white walls with decorated rugs. At the end of the hall was a door even more familiar. Abruptly, Aang realized why he hadn’t recognized much of the path. It wasn’t _just_ because of how much had changed, this area had been restricted to masters only, and he hadn’t come to this temple after receiving his arrows.

A bubble of excitement started in the back of his mind, and Aang was quick to bring it forward, to regain any cheer he could as he looked around the vaulted hallway in an area he had never before seen, but was more familiar to him than the rest of the temple combined. Teo lead them up to a familiar-looking door covered in a huge relief.

“Hey, it’s just like the one in the other temple!” Katara said excitedly.

Teo gently touched the door. “Only an airbender can open it, so inside it’s completely untouched. Just the way the monks left it.” He grinned at Aang. “I’ve always wondered what it’s like in there…”

The bubbling of joy that Aang had been trying to hold slipped out of his fingers at the thought of revealing the last of the temple’s purity, it’s final pristine secret.

“Aang?” Katara asked sotly as his smile fell. The boy found he could look at them, and turned away. Zuko was still standing behind him, but Aang was quick to avoid his gaze.

“I’m sorry. This is the last part of the temple that’s the same as it was. I want it to stay that way.” Aang said, refusing to open the door. Though he still didn’t look at anyone, he could practically _feel_ the glare Zuko leveled at Teo over his shoulder.

Aang didn’t think the glare was really necessary, as the Earth Kingdom boy quickly backed down and lead them back through the dark tunnel. Attempting to pull back some of that interest from earlier, Aang hummed. “I wonder if all of the temples had doors like that and I just wasn’t allowed in those sections.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t sneak into them.” Katara said quickly, joining his attempt to lighten the mood. Aang’s heart swooped at her kind tone and gaze, and he found a bit of his smile returning.

“Why would I bother sneaking into some old hallways. There was plenty of fun stuff to do in the rest of the temple!”

Katara laughed, and Aang felt some of the weight dragging him down lift at the sound.

“I think the shrine to Avatar Roku in Crescent Island has something similar, but with Firebending obviously.” Zuko added. “I wonder if there are Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom doors that work the same way.” He glanced at Katara, as if to see if she knew the answer but the girl simply shrugged.

“I think if I wanted to keep something secret from any non-waterbender, I would just put up an ice wall or put it in a glacier.”

“Yeah, and Earth Benders probably just put up rock walls!” Aang added. Zuko was blushing, which wasn’t good. He hadn’t wanted to embarrass his friend! Quick, change of topic. “But the one at Avatar Roku’s shrine was _so cool_.”

“You’ve seen it?”

“Yeah, uh, Avatar Roku had a message for me.”

“Huh. That’s… interesting.”

“Yeah, it was weird. I had never met with a past life before! The room was really secure too. We tried to trick it with explosions, but it didn’t work. We’re lucky Sokka thought of a plan to trick the sages into opening it for us.”

Zuko hummed. “It’s ironic cause you probably didn’t have to trick them at all. It’s the sage’s duty to help the Avatar. If they knew you were there then they would have opened the door for you.”

Oops, abort abort. Zuko got really sad when they talked about when the Fire Nation was mean. They needed a new topic. Had he showed Zuko the marble trick yet?

“Well, one of them tried to help us,” Katara confessed. “But the rest…”

“Had forsaken their vows and pledged their loyalty to the Fire Lord.” Zuko said, his voice that flat, emotionless baseline that Aang thought was worse than anger. “Right. Of course.”

Teo had slowed, and was watching them carefully, concern in his dark eyes. “You… seem to know a lot about Fire Nation shrines.” He said. He accused.

Zuko scowled, golden eyes squinting. “I don’t want to talk about it.

Teo’s hands tightened on his wheels, face screwing up in concern as he started connecting the dots. Uh oh. “Hey Teo! Look at this!” Aang called for the wind, shaping it and moving it in a mini tornado in his hands, powerful and consistent enough to twirl a pair of marbles in a halo.

The boy smiled. “Cool! I bet there were a ton of tricks that you airbenders used to know.” Aang smiled back. As fun as it was to show off, the trick also went to remind the other boy that he was the Avatar, and that his choice in companions could be trusted.

“Yeah! Speaking of Airbending, can you show me those gliders again? I’d never seen anything like them.”

“Sure!”

* * *

Teo chatted with Katara while he and another refugee kid worked to set up a glider so that it would work with her size. Aang smiled, a bit of joy bubbling again at the thought of sharing the pure elation of flight with a friend that was so dear to him. Speaking of his friends…

The boy turned to where Zuko was standing at the edge of the platform, glaring at the sky and clouds beyond. Aang hesitantly moved towards the other boy. Zuko… he seemed to be the only one who really _got_ it. Sokka was too excited by the inventions to really be thinking, and this was all normal for Teo, but even Katara was just sad that he was upset. She wasn’t mad about the temple, just that it made him sad. Zuko though, he looked at the pipes and destruction with as much disgust as Aang. He got it. Aang wished that helped. “Thank you, by the way. For-“

“Is this what it used to look like? Outside the temple?”

Pouting, but knowing enough about Zuko to know the interruption was intentional, Aang considered the question. “Well, it’s pretty obvious to me that they’re gliding and not airbending, but other than that it’s pretty similar. And they’re actually pretty good at it.”

The pair were distracted when Momo ran past, leaping from far tree to tree along with the wild lemurs, the entire pack gliding between the branches. The Airbender hummed. “I wonder if they learned to glide from the lemurs like how we leered to airbend from the bisons.”

“You learned from the Bisons?”

“Yep! That’s how Appa flies. Sometimes, I still think I learn new tricks from him. It’s really cool to be close to the original masters, you know?” Aang smiled, but Zuko’s scowl had only deepened.

“Out original masters were the dragons. Some of the best firebenders in history were said to have dragon companions.”

“Avatar Roku had a dragon! He was the one who lead me to the temple. Maybe we should see if we can find one! That way Appa could have a flying friend!”

The teen looked to the side. “We can't. They’re extinct now.”

“What? That’s impossible, they were all over…” before. But everything was different before.

“Fire Lord Azulon made it a sport to hunt dragons, said it was a sign of a masterful firebender to defeat the old masters at their own game. The last one was killed years ago. I always… I always thought that was stupid. Riding a dragon for one moment would be better than a lifetime of glory and acclaim from killing one.”

That was… that was horrible. How could they have done something like that? Perhaps it shouldn’t be such a shock when they had done so much to the rest of the world, but to go against their own masters… It was a betrayal.

As the horror processed, something Zuko said stuck out to the airbender. ‘riding a dragon for one moment would be better than a lifetime of glory…’ Suddenly the teen’s expression, the way he watched the swooping gliders, took on a whole new meaning. He wasn’t brooding. It was envy.

“You know, if you asked they would definitely let you try out a glider. There’s a whole pile over there.”

Zuko was silent for a moment. “They wouldn’t if they knew who I really was.”

Aang felt compassion burst in his chest, somehow bursting through his yuckiness. Zuko’d had to think a lot about bad things the Fire Nation had done today. He never seemed to realize that he was not just the sins of his nation. “Maybe they wouldn’t if they knew you were a Firebender, but if they really knew _you_ , who you are, they would be honored. We know you.” He gestured at Katara, who was giving him nervous looks as she walked to the edge with her glider. “And we think you should try.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Now, go ask for a glider. I’m going to give Katara some pointers.”

Teo was giving her guidance as he came up. “The wind will carry you. It supports something inside you. Something even lighter than air. And that something takes over when you fly.”

The girl bit her lips nervously. “I’ve changed my mind. I think I was born without that something.”

Teo laughed. “That’s impossible! Everybody has it.”

And this. This was the first truly familiar thing that Aang had heard of since coming to the temple. “Spirit.”

The other boy blinked. “What?”

“Spirit. That’s the something you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I su-“

Suddenly, a blur of dark rushed past as Zuko ran past the group, not hesitating with a moment before leaping off the edge. The firebender whooped as the wind caught his glider, and Aang grinned. “See, Zuko has spirit! Are you ready Katara?”

“No.” She said, and jumped.

* * *

Zuko laughed joyously, uproariously. He laughed as he hadn’t since he was a child.

He wasn’t even sure he’d laughed like this back then. Even with his mother’s presence, the walls of the palace were not made for playing. Nothing had ever felt like this.

He cut through the air with ease, swooping and diving. The glider caught the currents as wind blew past his face. He could sense the artificial warm air currents, hitting them at the perfect time to send him faster and higher.

(Image credit to the AMAZING Naiya Dyani, thank you so much!!!)

Aang swooped beside him. “You’re pretty good at this Zuko.”

“This feels _Amazing_. No wonder you’re happy all the time. You get to do then whenever you want.”

“It’s pretty awesome.” Aang agreed. “Just make sure you keep your mouth closed so you don’t swallow a bug! Oh, I should go warn Katara about that.”

Zuko looked back to see a figure in blue gently gliding far behind him. “Okay, yeah, let me just…”

He didn’t have as much control as Aang, but being able to sense the hot currents made the act of gliding more intuitive than it may have been otherwise so he was able to join to catch the tail end of the conversation. “…ven though Teo’s not an airbender, he really does have the spirit of one!”

Zuko shrugged. “He’s alright.”

Aang grinned, looking at Zuko. The younger boy’s grey eyes were locked on the broad grin that was refusing to leave the teen’s face. “I’ve been thinking. I’m going to let him see what’s in the room. I like Teo, and I think he would keep it safe if he knew it was important.”

The boy flew away, leaving Katara and Zuko slowly floating through the air. “Uh,” The Waterbender asked nervously. “How do we land these things?”

* * *

Teo was practically vibrating with excitement. Aang seemed nervous but not upset. Katara was glad that Aang’s usual temper was resuming. Zuko was just happy to get out of the hallway.

“I can’t believe I’m finally going to see what’s inside!” The Earth Kingdom boy enthused. Aang didn’t answer, instead taking a deep breath as he carefully airbent into the wind funnels in the door. Zuko leaned forward with interest as three wooden dials moved with the force of the air.

Then the door opened.

Zuko was going to be sick.

It was terrible. It was sickening. It was horrible.

It was blood red and cold dark steel.

It looked just like home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter on this one! I'm going to retatch the Bato episode to see if inspiration strikes, but if not, then I'll probably start on Cold Hard Instincts next! 
> 
> TW: Lots of violent imagery, discussion of death and blood, dark imagry. R.I.P Lady MacBeth, but I'm different. 
> 
> ALSO I GOT FANART!!! Please go back to the last chapter for some amazing fanart of Happy Zuko using the glider last chapter!!

Zuko staggered back as the other kids stared in awestruck horror. The room was filled, cluttered with items, but nothing that the air nomads had left b placed. No, everywhere the eye could reach were different horrific, painful-looking weapons of steel and iron, blades and traps and machines. In the center of it all was a large red tarp emblazoned with the regal symbol of the Fire Nation.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

“This is a nightmare.” Aang breathed.

Zuko looked for a bucket.

“You don’t understand.” A voice said from behind. Nerves worn and shot beyond compare, Zuko responded with blades held high, pointing them at the mechanist even as they shook and trembling along with his hands. He only lowered the weapons when his hazy guilt-fear-horror-no-please-no cleared enough to recognize the blue and brown figure beside the man as Sokka.

“You’re making weapons for the Fire Nation!” Aang accused.

Now would be a great time for Zuko to take a quick time out. Or it would have been, if the ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ instincts hadn’t been systematically destroyed for him for the past… life. He just, this was too much. It was a lot. The others were demanding answers, but he could barely think, much less speak. The mechanist’s words faded out, registering in his mind through a wave of fog.

This was, he shouldn’t be reacting like this, should he? Maybe it was okay to be a little upset at such objectively disturbing surroundings, but this? He felt like his head was swimming, like he was getting sick. He was filled with horror, but that- it was helping his people to win the war (hadn’t he already determined that this war was a waste?) He’d thought- he thought he’d accepted that he was a traitor to the throne months ago. He had renounced his father in the cave, and realized that he would never get the throne at the same time. Then he’d acted against his nation by rescuing Aang from the Pohuai stronghold, accepting that he had become a real traitor. He’d realized then that he didn’t agree with the pointless war. Then he’d actively aided the Nation’s most notorious traitor, and he’d never felt prouder of his people than when he’d been surrounded by deserters, being told that he’d caused an entire division to abandon their nation.

He thought he’d accepted that his people had become the enemies of the world rather than the saviors that his tutors had proclaimed.

But this… this… maybe it was the day, the result of stewing in rage and guilt and sadness, but this felt like it broke him. His people had taken a place heralded by only peace and compassion, and brought to it violence and suffering and death. They had forced interlopers into this once-sanctuary, leading to it being desecrated and disrespected and destroyed. Even then they could not allow one bit of peace to evade their war-mongering grasps. Instead, some general threatened to destroy a temple that housed nothing the Fire Nation wanted, for the simple joy of destroying refugees who were essentially harmless.

He’d realized that his people had done terrible things in the name of the Fire Lord. He _had_. He’d seen the scars and the corpses. He’d faced Zhao and saw the razed patches of lands. He believed it. But he hadn’t really _known_ it until this moment. Surrounded in the colors of a war room, and seeing the horror and terror in the eyes of those around him at the very hint that the Fire Nation might appear.

It was then that his heart knew what his head had been shying away from. His people were committing atrocities that were marring their souls just as they were ruining their opponent’s lives. They needed to be stopped. He needed to stop them.

He couldn’t fool himself into thinking himself loyal any longer.

Zuko gave up looking for bucket.

He ran to the nearest window, thankful that the monks had appreciated airflow more than they had disliked the cold. He leaned out of it, sparing a second to hope that there were no gliders beneath him as he unceremoniously lost his lunch.

“Zuko!” Katara and Sokka cried, rushing for him with wide, concerned eyes. Zuko wasn’t sure when Aang, Teo, and his father had left, but that was fine.

The last thing he wanted near him at the moment was a father.

“Sorry man,” Sokka said softly. “I didn’t even think…”

“This must be really hard for you.” Katara said kindly.

“I- I don’t feel good.” The Fire Nation teen moaned.

The girl immediately stepped back, water rushing from her waterskin and glowing blue. The inexperienced girl’s brows knit as she pressed the glowing water to his head. She frowned. “You feel.. off, but I’m not sure what it is. You don’t feel sick. Not physically at least.”

Zuko felt like he was dying. He moaned, and sagged into Sokka’s arms, which were close to the only things keeping him upright. The girl’s eyes tracked him with concern. “C’mon, let’s find him a bed or someplace to rest.”

“Cn I ha’ som tea?” Zuko slurred, his raspy voice even rougher than normal.

“Yeah, yeah buddy. I’m sure we can find you some tea.”

“Kay.”

The world moved disproportionate to time. He blinked and they were down the hall. Blinked again and they were surrounded by other refugees who watched with concerned eyes. Again, and he was in bed as an elderly man whispered to his friends.

Zuko caught the coattails of the conversation. Something about an unnatural sickness arising when the mind and the body were at war with one another. Zuko wanted to laugh. The rest of the world was at war, why shouldn’t he be? Assuming he wasn’t already. He was born in the war of his Father’s design, a war against the heirs in front of him. A war in which his greatest opponent was his sister the instant she started to spark. He was forged in a war council, tested by fire in it’s arena. He was banished to meet the war, and instead came face to face with some of it’s greatest victims who could still claim life.

His very existence was centered on the war. Whatever this was, it was nothing in comparison. Zuko coughed weakly, Katara’s concerned voice rising as cool water brushed his forehead. 

The world… changed.

_Faded._

_Was he dreaming? This felt like the realest thing to ever happen to him, but it made no sense._

_He was kneeling upon the flaming dais of the Fire Lord, a position he’d long since lost the right too. He wondered how he had ever been foolish enough to think it could one day be his. His face was whole and his hair was long and expertly groomed, no longer the short shaggy mane that had started forming since he cut his unhealthy hair off after being rescued. Legions of soldiers bowed before him awaiting their orders._

_He was horrified by the sight._

_A pair of dragons snaked along the pillars behind him, long sinuous bodies coiling around the elaborate architecture. The blue dragon spoke in Jet’s voice, charming and persuasive even when you knew the rat hidden under his smolder._

_“What are you waiting for?” It asked. “You know how this works, you’ve seen it your entire life. The strongest get stronger. They deserve to use their strength to get more. Only those stronger than them deserve to stand in their way. Look at the might of your armies. You have the power, you have the right. Just saw the word and the entire world can be yours.”_

_“But… I don’t think I want that.”_

_The dragon laughed cruelly. “Really, Firebender? You have the opportunity here to be great. What is a little violence, a few lost lives in the grand scheme of things? Once you have them in your power, you get to decide what to do with the nations. You could help them. The Fire Nation is great, among all the lies you’ve been told, you know that’s true. If you ruled, you would get to decide how that greatness is spread. Just give the command. The war is yours to win, if you only-“_

_“No!” The red dragon cried, it’s voice the young clear voice of Aang. “Don’t listen to them, Zuko. You are powerful, but you’re also wise. You have seen through so many lies recently, don’t go blind to them now. You know what command you really need to give. You have the power to stop it.”_

_“But… they’re my people. I want what’s best for them.”_

_“What’s best for them is power.” The blue dragon hissed, voice compelling._

_“The quest for power is what’s hurting them.” The red argued. “Look at them, Zuko, really look.”_

_Zuko did. Their once-pristine uniforms were worn and stained. Each and every one of them dirty. Some men were slumped, their eyes the glassy dull of corpses. Hundreds dead, mixed in and almost indistinguishable from those beside them. Each and every figure’s hands were dyed blood red, a dye that he knew would never ease. Most men kept their eyes glued to the floor. They refused to look at their hands. They hated being reminded of where the color came from._

_“They’re suffering, Zuko.” The red dragon said softly. “They’re your people and they are suffering.”_

_“They only need to fight a little more.” The blue dragon promised. Once it is all over, their sufferings will end.”_

_But as they waited, the stains on their arms grew darker, expanded further. Soldiers wept._

_“How can I make it stop?” He asked the red dragon. The creature pointed with a snout to an object at the other side of the unending war room. On it was a scale, out of balance. On one side were statues of Sozin, of Azulon, of Ozai. Of Azula. On the other, a large glowing arrow. Somehow, Zuko knew that it was perfectly weighted so that if he got on the side with the arrow, it would balance out perfectly._

_He rose from his strict position, taking a step towards the scale, but as he did, the legions of armies mirrored him. All but the corpses got to their feet and settled into a ready position._

_“You will have to go against them.” The red dragon said, sorrow lacing it’s tone. “They will not willingly let you pass. But if you can make it, you can save them.”_

_Zuko hesitated, seeing his people stare back at him. The Blue dragon at his back continued to talk through the merits of the strong taking what they wanted, of fighting to get and keep and survive. He took a deep breath, ignoring the beast, and let out a ferocious burst of flame as he leapt into the fray, eyes locked on the balance sitting far away._

_He fought._

_He fought against his people._

_He fought_ for _his people._

_He opened his eyes._

* * *

“Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Aang asked worriedly, biting his lips as he stared at his ill friend. They were meeting at the rooms they had given Zuko, a simple living space with plenty of large windows to let in fresh air and sunlight. The elder teen mumbled in his sleep, jerking this way and that as Katara gently bent globes of cool water towards his face so he can drink.

The boy tried to ignore the small voice at the back of his mind that said it might be better if Zuko just… slept through everything.

“I don’t know, Aang.” Katara said softly. “I don’t even know for sure what’s wrong. I can’t sense anything wrong with him, and he seemed fine until…”

“It was pretty upsetting.” Sokka allowed. “And it would be even worse for…”

Teo shot the older teen a confused glance, but Sokka tensed up and refused to say a word as he started pacing the overfilled space. “We’re running out of time, though. Zuko’s been out of it for days. The soldier’s deadline is in a few hours. What are we going to do if he’s still sick when they get here?”

“We trust the plan.” Sokka said, all confidence to contrast Aang’s doubt. “We have the advantage in the air. We’re prepared, and we’re underestimated. We can win this.”

Katara nodded. “If he’s this sick now, he won’t exactly be getting up and walking around in the middle of the battle. I don’t like leaving him here any more than you do, but this might be the safest place for him.”

“But if we lose-“ Aang protested, but Sokka interrupted.

“If we lose, nowhere is safe.”

“We won’t lose.” Teo said, voice painted with a confidence at odds with the fear in his eyes. “We can’t.”

Zuko suddenly gasped, lurching forward into a sitting position. He stared straight ahead out the window, not sparing a single glance for the others in the room.

“We’re lied to, you know.” He said, voice low and rumbling, interrupting any cries of joys that his movement had generated.

Aang, gulped, suddenly unsure if Zuko wanted to have this conversation with Teo in the room. Still, the boy seemed like he needed to say something. “What do you mean?”

“From the moment we first enter school, no, from birth we’re lied to. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history.”

Teo gasped as he realized the implication behind those words, his hands tightening on the wheels of his cart. Zuko glanced his way but didn’t stop talking. “And that somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world.” He laughed sardonically, sarcastically.

“What an amazing lie that was. As long as we are in our homes, we would never know the lie. We would think the Fire Nation had the epitome of culture, of advancement, of-“ He snorted cruelly and gestured at Teo. “Of mechanical innovation. By the time anyone from our Nation is in a place where they could learn the truth, they’re in the army, forced to comply with orders or become traitors and die. But not me. I can see the truth. The people of the world are _terrified_ by the Fire Nation. They don’t see our greatness, they hate us. And we deserve it.”

He looked down, and Aang wanted to swoop forward, to comfort him. Zuko didn’t deserve hate. But before he could figure out what to say, Zuko continued. “The Fire Nation has created an era of fear in the world. If we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness. And I’m the only one who knows enough of the truth to do that.”

The boy got to his feet, taking his swords off the floor and attaching them to his belt. “Madame Wu wasn’t able to read my destiny accurately, but I believe I can see it now. No more halfhearted help, Aang. I’m going to make sure you have the chance to bring peace to the world. If that means directly fighting against my people, I will do what I must.”

He smiled dimly, checking his reflection in the blade of his sword. “I ask only that when this is all over… don’t think about moments like this, when the Fire Nation is a faceless enemy coming to cause pain. I would ask you to remember the Fire Festival, and how that woman gave Sokka a second Spark Stick when he accidentally dunked his water. I ask that you remember the deserter camp, and how the soldiers at Gaipan lead the Earth Kingdom natives to safety. I know the Fire Nation seems evil to you now, and some I believe truly are. But most are just… people. People who have been deceived. I ask you to keep that in mind.”

The room rang in silence for a few moments, the teen’s gravely serious words ringing in the empty air. Finally, Sokka spoke. “That uh, that fever’s still talking, huh bud?”

“It is _not_.” Zuko fumed, but Aang stepped forward.

His grey eyes met Zuko’s gold. Aang felt a connection there, a stirring of something. He had never thought of Zuko as distant before, but he realized now how much the older teen had been holding back.

He wasn’t holding anything back now.

Aang knew that the other boy had laid himself open, presenting himself and his truth to the group in a way that brought pain fresh to the surface. The boy was usually hidden behind layers and layers of protective spikes, like a poru-lizzard. But here he had made himself vulnerable. The Avatar spoke, and though he was not in the Avatar state, he felt the weight of a hundred lives pressing on him as he vowed. “I promise, Zuko. I promise.”

The elder teen nodded, then as his days in bed caught up to him, collapsed back onto the mat. “Thanks Aang. Please tell me someone has food. Sokka?”

The Water Tribe boy had moved forward to his friend, a large smile stretching across his face even as he made falsely insulted sputtering noises. “Why do you always ask me?”

“You always have food.”

“No, I’m always hungry. That’s like, the opposite.” He gripped Zuko’s shoulder, eyes shining with pride. 

“Just give me whatever jerky you’re hiding.” 

“How did you, uh, fine.”

“No!” Katara argued. Her eyes were suspiciously wet but she managed to keep herself together as she moved to the small pot that had been keeping warm by virtue of a pile of dying coals. “You’ve been sick, jerky won’t be good for you right now. Here, I made some Congee.”

“Like Chey taught you?”

“I didn’t have the right spices.” She confessed. “But it’s simple and warm.”

“Fine. I’m hungry enough for anything.”

“Uh,” Teo voiced, looking between the group awkwardly. “Are we just going to ignore the whole ‘Zuko is Fire Nation’ thing?”

Sokka shrugged, but Aang noticed that he moved to place himself between Teo and his friend. “I mean, I think he pretty much explained everything. Do you have any additional questions?”

Teo’s face scrunched in confusion, and his eyes darted around the room, lingering on Zuko the longest before he seemed to make a decision. “I… guess not. That actually explains a lot. Good to, uh, have you on our side, I gruess.”

Zuko nodded, toasted the other book with his congee bowl, and started digging in.

Aang grinned. This was going to go _great_.

* * *

Zuko arched his leg in a powerful kick, cutting through the chain of the tank pulling itself up the mountain. Before he could even spare a pang of guilt at sending his people to their deaths, another grappling hook shot out of the vehicles front, and he had to dodge to the side to keep from being impaled by it.

By the time he was on his feet again, the closest tanks had crested the ridge and were spewing fire at him. The boy dodged, attempting to block or despell the attacking flames, but his chi was still too weak and he only succeeded in getting a few new scars on his arms. The boy cursed, muttering in anger about how he would have been much more help with a glider, but the refugees had already assigned them out when he’d awoken. There were only a few gliders, and they needed to make sure that the most experienced flyers got them.

He rolled to avoid a burse of air from Aang, watching in horror as the upturned vehicles easily righted themselves and started rolling towards them once again, never once halting their barrage of fire.

Suddenly, Katara was there, moving ice and wrecking the mechanisms of the cars. But the sheer number of attackers overwhelmed their group of three, and they had to be saved by a flying bison. Zuko scrambled onto Appa behind Aang and Katara, and could only join them in horror as they watched the soldiers advance.

They landed to even worse news as Teo immediately warned them that they were out of bombs. Even the arrival of the War Balloon didn’t save the day, as Sokka and the mechanist ran out of ammunition far before the Fire Nation ran out of soldiers.

Suddenly however, Sokka was shouting back at them, crying for Zuko. Immediately one of the refugees handed off their glider, and Zuko ran off the cliff with reckless abandon as he jumped to his friend. Sokka grinned at him. “Rotten eggs!” He declared.

Zuko blinked at him blankly. “I have no clue what that means.”

Sokka pointed down at a crevice, which was indeed starting to reek of rotten eggs. “Think we can get some Fire Power down there?”

Zuko swallowed uncertainly. He still had yet to actually make a flame, despite Jeong Jeong’s teachings.

Sokka grimaced. “I have a plan ‘B’ if not, but it would be better for all of us if I don’t need to do it.”

The firebender nodded in resolve. “I can try.” He turned to the temple. “Aang! With me.” He called, barely pausing to see the orange of the staff wings expanding. 

He wheeled his glider around, swooping ever closer to the dangerous crevice. With one hand he let go of the glider, urging his chi into his palm with every fiber of his being. Nothing happened. He tried again. And again. And again. Nothing but a thin wisp of smoke.

Zuko growled, his eyes flashing with rage as he pulled on every bit of fury and anger that had been simmering in him for the past few days. Every hint of guilt and fury and passion that the horrors of this temple had stirred up. Still nothing. He was going to fail. They were all going to fail and it would be his fault.

He pushed at his chi again, but still nothing.

This wasn’t fair. Why could his bending never be _good_ enough. He just wanted to protect them.

The boy let out a scream of anger, jerking back in shock as a flare of flames slipped from his lips. Oh.

He smirked. He could work with this. Zuko turned the glider sharply, banking it until he was flying upside down. He flipped, sparks flying from his mouth and catching the thin material of the glider. The light green turned black as the orange-red flames licked across it. He planted his feet on the flaming vehicle, kicking it away as he lifted one arm to the air. Aang caught the arm, swinging away as the flaming glider fell into the crevice.

Aang’s flight wobbled a bit as he corrected for the extra weight. “Zuko, you did it! You created fire.”

The Firebender grinned. “I did.” He laughed. Gliding had brought him joy, but nothing close to that.

Aang swooped close to the war ballon and Zuko released is grip right before the Avatar banked away, using the momentum to leap for the ballon basket, gripping to the side of the wicker for a moment before pulling himself over the edge just as the world behind him exploded.

Distracted, Zuko looked back and Sokka had to pull him the rest of the way in. “Did I do that?”

“Yup. And look! It worked, they’re retreating.”

Zuko looked, and with a rush of relief saw that indeed, the armies were retreating. With minimal casualties as well. Those in the tanks on this hill didn’t make it, but otherwise the bulk of the army was walking away. Good. It was good. Zuko let out a loud sigh of relief, starting when sparks spilt from his lips. Oops.

The Mechanist watched him carefully, before loudly whispering to Sokka, “Psst. I think your friend might be a firebender.”

Sokka laughed nervously, “Uhhhh.”

* * *

The mood was victorious when they landed the air balloon, the population of the temple all gathered in the courtyard and rejoicing in their win. Aang made a beeline for Teo.

“You know what? I’m really glad you guys live here now.” The airbender said. “It’s like the hermit crabs. Maybe you weren’t born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home.”

They continued to talk, but Zuko’s mind wandered. Where was his home? It wasn’t Caldera. Certainly not now, maybe it never had been. But it wasn’t the cave either. Maybe he didn’t have one anymore. Maybe he never had. That might have brought despair for some, but Zuko saw it as an opportunity. He had the chance to make his own.

He glanced at his three companions as Aang promised Teo he would teach them how to use the special Air Temple Onions to make fruit pies. He thought he was making a pretty great start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Dark Kermit Meme* :  
> Add elements of both of Zuko's major character arc shifts into one chapter for a fairly unimportant episode. 
> 
> Yup. That was planned. 100% totally planned. My original outline definitely had the dragons appearing in this episode. Yup. 
> 
> (it was not planned)


End file.
